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Friday, March 02, 2007

The new ACC coordinators hired for the 2007 season will be closely watched to see how they perform in their new positions. Here is a rundown of the new coordinators:

OC Jimbo Fisher: Florida State

Probably the most publicized coaching change of the season.Fisher is a proven developer of quarterbacks, something that's been sorely lacking for years in Tallahassee, and one of the most respected offensive architects in the country.

Molding the Drew Weatherfords, Antone Smiths and Greg Carrs into a well-oiled offensive machine is why Fisher is being greeted with more attention than normal for a non-head coach. Bobby Bowden is quickly running out of time in his quest to milk one more championship run out of Florida State. By luring Fisher to the ACC, he took a giant step in that direction and may have inked his eventual successor at the same time.

OC Patrick Nix: Miami

Randy Shannon's first major personnel decision as a head coach will go a long way to determining how successful he is in his debut. Nix has been hired to energize a Hurricane offense that's lacked consistency and firepower for the past four years. He's a former SEC quarterback with aggressive tendencies, which is fast becoming a trademark of Shannon first staff. Not married to any one offensive philosophy, Nix is committed to do whatever is necessary — on Saturday and on the recruiting trail — to get Miami back in the running for a national championship. He comes to the Hurricanes from Georgia Tech where he was the offensive coordinator.

OC John Bond: Georgia Tech

When Patrick Nix left Atlanta for Miami, head coach Chan Gailey strongly considered taking over the play-calling duties himself. Instead, he did the next best thing, hiring Bond, a seasoned veteran with a very similar offensive philosophy to his own. Both coaches want to play field position and establish a physical ground game to set up the pass, a good fit considering All-ACC back Tashard Choice returns for his senior year and quarterback Taylor Bennett has a pair of starts on his resume. Bond comes from Northern Illinois where he was the offensive coordinator.

OC John Shoop: North Carolina

After a decade in the NFL, learning from the likes of Norv Turner and Jon Gruden, Shoop heads back to college intent on igniting a Tar Heel offense that's averaged less than 20 points a game the last two seasons. While he'll strive for balance, he's not wedded to any particular system, opting instead to build an offense around the talent he inherits. Considering Carolina's uncertainty at quarterback, Shoop's likely to implement a conservative approach reminiscent of his days with the Chicago Bears.